


Pride

by blutopaz15



Series: S3 Fics [6]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Callum - Freeform, Canon Compliant, Dragonguard, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode 9, Established Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Kissing, Love, Pride, Rayla - Freeform, Rayla-centric (The Dragon Prince), Rayllum, Romance, Season 3, big feelings!, farewell scene, the Final Battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blutopaz15/pseuds/blutopaz15
Summary: Before the final battle, Rayla reflects on how pride has shaped her story and considers what drives her, especially her love for a certain human prince.
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Rayllum - Relationship
Series: S3 Fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018519
Comments: 6
Kudos: 79





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Finished my third watch-thru today, and I felt like the final episode of season three was missing a Rayllum farewell scene before the battle...so this little tale of optimistic angst with a side of Rayllum fluff was born!
> 
> Enjoy!

“The last Dragonguard.” 

Rayla beamed. The conversation continued but she turned back to Zym, placing a comforting hand on his head. Her proud smile widened a little to see Bait’s grumpy face near Zym’s, also aiming to console the young dragon.

Vaguely aware of battle plans being finalized in front of her, Rayla couldn’t help but straighten up a little with pride thinking of herself as Zym’s guardian. She inhaled deeply and her heart seemed to skip a beat at the thought of not _redeeming_ herself, but at instead _continuing_ her parents’ legacy. Thanks to Callum, her faith in her parents and in herselfand in everything she’d done this last monthwere restored. Her faith, and her pride. The very thing Callum had accused her of having too much of.

In dark moments when she was young, she’d cried some bitter tears, alone where Runaan and Ethari couldn’t see, over her parents’ calling to the Dragonguard. She’d coldly repeat to others’ her pride in her parents for their sacrifice, but she’d struggled to truly understand what called them to that sacrifice. Now, looking at Zym, she understood. She’d come to understand.

She’d still been led by that cold sense of pride when she’d set off more than a month ago on her first mission. Pride that had curdled into shame. Shame for her parents alleged dishonor that had steeled to rage. Rage that had somehow exploded back into pride, desperate for an acceptable release. She’d found that in the mission that had promised her a chance to redeem herself, separate herself from her parents’ dishonor.

She winced now, thinking of what _that_ pride had almost done, imagining another universe in which she actually _had_ killed not only Callum but Ezran too after realizing that her binding had not fallen off after senselessly taking the elder prince’s life. Another universe, in which her cold resolve had endured the human soldier’s pleas and she had helped to kill the King then searched the castle for Ezran, leaving Callum truly alone with only Claudia’s tolerance for his affection and Soren’s teasing. 

But—she shuddered, shrugging off the thought—that hadn’t happened, and she had to give Zym credit for that. If not for the hope he’d brought her, she would have left Katolis with blood on her hands and that steely pride in her heart.

The pride that swelled in her chest now felt different. She thought, perhaps, because it was her own. Instead of feeling the shattered, icy slivers of her parents pride in Xadia, she now had her ball of fire in her chest. It expanded with liquidy warmth, making it easier, instead of more difficult, to breath. Now, she would sacrifice to the last to protect that legacy, that honor, that pride...to protect Zym. And everything he’d come to represent.

Like Xadia. Protecting Zym meant protecting her home. Watching Callum and Zym experience Xadia with wonder for the first time this past week had fueled the little ball of pride growing in her chest.

Like her home and her family. To protect Zym meant protecting Ethari and the Silvergrove and Moonberry Surprise. It meant protecting the memory of Runaan and the memory of her parents. Those pieces still hurt, but the wounds in her heart were made more tolerable by the warmth of the rest.

Like Ez. Protecting Zym meant protecting Ezran and the fragile fragments of his broken world, shattered by pieces of her world. But protecting Zym meant hope that the world wouldn’t fall into discordant war, that Ezran could reign in a peaceful way to match his soul. In truth, Ezran’s purity and warmth had been the seed of the pride occupying her chest, forcing her to pause to consider the possibilities that the little blue baby dragon that now sat sadly by her side brought.

Zym represented life. Life that she realized she could do nothing _but_ protect. She shook her head slightly at the thought that she could’ve been an _assassin_. Even humanity, now, she wanted to protect. She wanted peace. Love. For no one else to have to suffer like her, or her parents, or Runaan, or Ethari, or Ezran, or...her sweet human prince who was settling next to her on the step. The largest ingredient to the fire of warm pride brewing inside.

”Hi,” he said. She became aware of the room again, and noticed that everyone had dispersed. Some had clumped together to talk, some had wandered toward the doors. She blinked to regain some clarity.

”Hi,” she responded. 

“Are you ready for this?” Her hand rested on the stone floor, and he covered it with his. She felt the fabric of his gloves and the warmth of his fingertips against hers.

”Yes.” She breathed, feeling the heat in her chest expand again.

”You sound so...sure.” He brushed his fingers against hers.

”Everything we’ve done has lead to this, Callum. Everything _I’ve_ done. And now it all...makes sense.” She looked at him with a smile.

”It didn’t before?” He wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her hand towards him, pressing it between both of his hands. “Your hand is cold.” She smiled at the contact. He gently rubbed her hand to warm it.

”Before you showed me what happened to my parents, you were right. I wasn’t doing all of this for my own reasons. But now that I don’t feel all twisted up inside anymore about my parents anymore, I know why _I’m_ here.”

He smiled, encouraging her to continue.

“I’m not here for my parents. I’m here for Zym. Without him, nothing would be the same, Callum. I’m just...so glad that he changed everything.”

”Rayla, I love Zym, too,” Zym perked up at his name slightly. “But, he didn’t change everything. We did. You did. _You_ made those choices.”

The soldier’s face flashed across Rayla’s mind. She inhaled a shaky breath.

“What’s wrong?”

”I’m so glad I made those choices.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. They’d been sitting side by side, but she turned to face him and he matched her position. She looked in his eyes, finding them soft and moss-colored in the dim light. “Callum...you’re so important to me.”

“Rayla, I—“

”Hang on, let me finish. Callum, I can’t stand the thought that a month ago, I—I was all ready to cause you so much pain. Can you forgive me?” She felt unbidden tears accumulate into her eyes.

”Rayla,” he gasped, the timbre of disbelief in his voice. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

A few tears spilled out from her lilac eyes, manifestations of her relief that he didn’t hold her accountable for what could have been. He unclasped her hand to bring a thumb up to wipe the tears away from where they’d fallen on her cheek. His gaze softened even more and a small smile sprung to his lips when she leaned into his touch. He let his hand linger. “Rayla, you’re so special to me. You’re my favorite person. I—“ 

She had, without warning, brought her lips to his. His eyes fluttered shut after the initial surprise, his hand still on her cheek. Now he used that hand to lengthen their kiss, holding her close. She reached out to find his arm and trailed her hand down to grab his other hand. When she pulled away from the kiss, he was startled to find more tears leaking from her eyes. He used both thumbs this time to wipe them away. 

“Sorry,” she said, and brought the back of her own hand up to wipe the rest away.

”Don’t be.” He paused. “It’s almost time. Can I...?” He opened his arms and she fell into them. She wrapped her arms around his waist, turning her face so her cheek rested against his chest. He rested his cheek against her hair, arms slung around her shoulders.

”Please stay safe.” She said quietly. He kissed the top of her head. 

“You too.” After a moment, he chuckled. “I don’t want to let go.”

”Me either.” They sat in silence for a while, occasionally one of them adjusting their grip on the other, squeezing a little tighter. The room began to quiet as the others left to assume their positions for the beginning of the battle. “You should probably go, Callum,” she said, reluctantly pushing him away. He placed a gentle kiss to her lips, then leaned his forehead against hers.

”I’ll see you after, ok?” He asked, both seeking and giving reassurance. She nodded and he stood, offering a hand to pull her up. She didn’t let go immediately.

He leaned down to pet Zym farewell while she still held on to him. 

”I’m proud of you, Callum.” She said with a smile when he straightened back up. He gave her a weak smile, then gave her hand one last kiss and a squeeze with a serious, piercing stare. Then they let their hands fall, as he turned to go.  
  
She waited until he disappeared through the doorway.

”I love you.”


End file.
